It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments.
Parallel translations
- WEB It is like the precious oil on the head, that ran down on the beard, even Aaron’s beard; that came down on the edge of his robes;
- KJV It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
- BSB It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard over the collar of his robes.
- NASB It is like the precious oil on the head, Running down upon the beard, As on Aaron’s beard, The oil which ran down upon the edge of his robes.
- NLT For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Such unity is like the precious oil running down Aaron's beard and robes. It pictures unity as a consecrating, overflowing blessing.
Overview
David compares unity to the anointing oil poured on Aaron's head, flowing down his beard onto his garments, an image of consecration and abundance. Unity, like that oil, sanctifies and richly blesses the whole body. It anticipates the Spirit poured out through Christ, the anointed One, uniting His people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Lev 8:12He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.
- Exod 30:25–30You shall make it a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil.
- Exod 29:7Then you shall take the anointing oil, and pour it on his head, and anoint him.
- Prov 27:9Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.
- Exod 39:24They made on the skirts of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, scarlet, and twined linen.
- John 12:3Mary, therefore, took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.
- Song 1:3Your oils have a pleasing fragrance. Your name is oil poured out, therefore the virgins love you.
- Ps 141:5Let the righteous strike me, it is kindness; let him reprove me, it is like oil on the head; don’t let my head refuse it; Yet my prayer is always against evil deeds.
- Exod 28:33On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, around its hem; and bells of gold between and around them:
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 133:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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